A New York Times Bestseller

In this steampunk Cinderella retelling, Nicolette's awful stepsisters call her "Mechanica" to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother's knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have pushed her into a life of dreary servitude. When she discovers a secret workshop in the cellar on her sixteenth birthday -- and befriends Jules, a tiny magical metal horse -- Nicolette starts to imagine a new life for herself. And the timing may be perfect: There's a technological exposition and a royal ball on the horizon. Determined to invent her own happily-ever-after, this YA fantasy heroine seeks to wow the prince and eager entrepreneurs alike with her brilliant inventions.

But this fairytale is more than just glass slippers -- it's about gears, guts, and gumption.

• A Fairytale Retelling with a Twist: Instead of a fairy godmother, Nicolette has her mother's hidden workshop, a knack for invention, and a brilliant mind determined to forge her own future.

• Steampunk Inventions: In a world powered by imagination, follow Nicolette as she crafts everything from clockwork creatures to her own dazzling entrance to the royal ball.

• A Touch of Magic: Meet Jules, a tiny mechanical horse with a mind of his own, who becomes Nicolette's most loyal friend and confidant in her dreary life of servitude.

• Beyond the Happily-Ever-After: In a world of glittering royalty and cutthroat entrepreneurs, Nicolette must decide if a prince is what she truly wants, or if her future lies in building her own empire.

• We started tracking this book on August 21, 2014.
• This book was $9.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 61 times in the past 4,274 days.
• The current price of this book is $1.99 last checked 3 hours ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past six months.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is $0.99.
• The lowest price to date was $0.99 last reached on August 10, 2025.
• This book has been $0.99 5 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $10.99 last reached on September 20, 2025.
• This book has been $10.99 one time since we started tracking it.

• Teen & Young AdultLiterature & FictionSocial & Family IssuesFamilySiblings

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• Print Length: 323 Pages